Vans Warped Tour entertains audience in Pomona Friday

Photo gallery:Vans Warped Tour POMONA -- Inclusiveness appeared to be the message of the Vans Warped Tour, a musical buffet of sorts with large helpings of punk, electronic dance music and metalcore acts with colorful names such as Upon A Burning Body, Middle Finger Salute and Forever The Sickest Kids.

"They write about stuff I relate to," said 18-year-old Santa Monica resident Jasmine Ayala, a fan of bands like post-hardcore group The Amity Affliction as well as pop-punk groups The Story So Far and Man Overboard. "Listening to them helps get everything out. Just someone else saying what you're going through."

The two-day festival, which featured more than 100 acts on 10 stages with thousands of fans in attendance, ended Friday at Fairplex.

Esgardo Valadez, 18, of Riverside echoed Ayala's thoughts but listed different bands he wanted to see. He listed metalcore's Bring Me The Horizon and Woe, Is Me, electronicore rock's I See Stars and post-hardcore's Sleeping With Sirens.

"The lyrical significance is inspirational," Valadez said, adding it helped to see him "through some hard times. Depression, domestic violence, he helps you through a rough time."

The touring summer festival began at Fairplex on Thursday with more than a few fans cheering when bands would ask onstage if they had been at the festival the previous day.

"Well, some of you were here yesterday with us," said Forever The Sickest Kids lead vocalist Jonathan Cook to an early afternoon crowd at the Tilly's Stage. "You guys are our friends and we truly appreciate you're out here," Cook said before launching into "Catastrophe" to the cheering audience.

Besides the Dallas pop punk band performing to a large, enthusiastic audience, Huntington Beach ska punk group Reel Big Fish and Orange County rock band The Aquabats also performed to a lively and frequently bouncing group at the Kia Soul Stage with a combination of comedy, colorful outfits and choreography.

Reel Big Fish performed their biggest hit "Sell Out" from 1996 as well as "Beer," a cover of a-ha's 1980's hit "Take On Me" and "SR" while their crowd eagerly threw toilet paper, beach balls and crowd surfed during the uptempo horn-drenched music.

The Aquabats wore skin-tight turquoise tops with helmetlike hats, black leggings or shorts and large belts and sang humorous energetic songs including "Cat with 2 Heads!" "The Shark Fighter!" and "Fashion Zombies!"

Meanwhile, Minneapolis alternative rock band Motion City Soundtrack was another group that appeared to be a fan favorite. Fans packed outside of the Kia Forte stage to watch the group, with many watching from behind the sound board to watch them flawlessly play "Broken Heart," "This Is For Real" and "Everything Is Alright."

Breanna Sosa, 18, of Fontana watched the up-and-coming Chicago pop punk band Real Friends on the crowd-surfing heavy Insidious Kevin Says Stage late Friday afternoon. Fans would frequently crowd surf just to sing to Dan Lambton, who would get off the stage to sing in the audience.

Sosa said she enjoyed the "energy and the intensity. It was very good."

When the audiences weren't dancing, they were checking out booths that sold band merchandise to learning about suicide prevention at The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention tent.

"To me, this is such a huge deal," said outreach volunteer Shiloh Cook, a San Diego resident who lost a friend to suicide as a senior in high school.

Cook said it was important to let people know they weren't alone and there is help out there.

"Music can reach everyone. We're thankful" we were selected to be at the Warped Tour, said Cook, adding many people had stopped by the tent.

For more information on the Vans Warped Tour, and where it heads to next, head to vanswarpedtour.com